First Student | Careers

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The Senior Director, Operations Support provides enterprise level strategic, operational, and people leadership for centralized operations support functions. This role is accountable for establishing consistent operating standards, delivering scalable tools and services, ensuring regulatory and policy compliance, and enabling field and customer success through efficient, technology enabled solutions. The Senior Director partners closely with field operations, corporate functions, and external stakeholders to drive operational excellence, customer satisfaction, financial discipline, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Operations & Strategy

Set the strategic direction, vision, and operating model for Operations Support services, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and long-term business objectives.
Establish, standardize, and continuously improve operational standards, governance, and service delivery models across supported functions.
Identify opportunities to leverage technology, data, and process improvements to drive efficiency, scalability, and consistency.
Assess evolving field, customer, and business needs and translate them into actionable solutions, tools, and services.

Service Delivery & Operational Excellence

Oversee delivery of high quality operations support services to field operations, corporate partners, and customers, ensuring service commitments are met or exceeded.
Define, monitor, and manage service levels, performance metrics, and operational outcomes.
Ensure compliance with applicable policies, regulations, and internal controls, including oversight of audit, review, and remediation activities.
Lead testing, deployment, adoption, and ongoing optimization of operational and customer facing tools and systems.

Leadership & Talent Management

Provide direct leadership to their team, including performance management, coaching, development planning, and succession readiness.
Establish consistent expectations, roles, and evaluation practices across teams.
Ensure effective onboarding, training, and ongoing capability development for Operations Support staff.
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and customer focus.

Financial & Resource Management

Drive budget planning, forecasting, and financial performance for Operations Support, ensuring fiscal discipline and alignment to value delivery.
Oversee resource planning, workload prioritization, and capacity management.
Monitor expenditures, evaluate ROI of initiatives, and adjust plans based on operational and financial drivers.
Support pricing, chargeback, or cost-allocation models where applicable.

Cross-Functional & Stakeholder Engagement

Serve as a senior partner to field leadership, corporate teams, and external stakeholders to ensure alignment, transparency, and effective execution.
Communicate performance, risks, and progress on key initiatives to executive leadership.
Promote clarity of Operations Support services, capabilities, and value proposition to internal and external audiences.
Lead or support enterprise initiatives and special projects as needed.

Technology & Vendor Oversight

Identify technology needs to support operations support functions; oversee solution development, procurement, and deployment.
Manage vendor and partner relationships, including contract negotiations, performance management, and issue resolution.
Ensure adoption of best practices, user standards, and training related to supported systems and tools.

Minimum Experience or Skills Required

Bachelor\'s degree in Business, Operations, Technology, or related discipline required
Master\'s degree (MBA or equivalent) preferred
10+ years of progressive leadership experience in operations, operations support, shared services, technology enabled services, or consulting environments
Demonstrated success leading large, multi-disciplinary teams and managing managers
Proven ability to design and scale operational services, standards, and governance models
Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, and performance management
Experience partnering with field operations and senior leaders to drive adoption and results
Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-functional initiatives and managing ambiguity
Excellent communication, influencing, and executive presence skills
High level of integrity, accountability, and customer orientation

First for a reason:

At First Student, we are a family of 60,000+ employees who take pride in safely transporting more than 5 million students and passengers to and from their destinations each day! Our family of brands include Transco, Total Transportation, Maggies Paratransit, and GVC II. Our employees are at the forefront of safety and innovation; they create and implement the most advanced training and technology the transportation industry has to offer.

In the state of Washington, all technician and driving positions, including but not limited to van drivers and any other position requiring employees to drive a company-owned vehicle, are considered safety-sensitive and are therefore subject to drug and alcohol testing, including cannabis.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status. First is also committed to providing a drug-free workplace. First will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinance, and any other fair chance law. Philadelphia\'s Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance Poster is at this link or upon request https://www.phila.gov/media/20210423160847/Fair-Chance-Hiring-law-poster.pdf.

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The Senior Director, Operations Support provides enterprise level strategic, operational, and people leadership for centralized operations support functions. This role is accountable for establishing consistent operating standards, delivering scalable tools and services, ensuring regulatory and policy compliance, and enabling field and customer success through efficient, technology enabled solutions. The Senior Director partners closely with field operations, corporate functions, and external stakeholders to drive operational excellence, customer satisfaction, financial discipline, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Operations & Strategy

Set the strategic direction, vision, and operating model for Operations Support services, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and long-term business objectives.
Establish, standardize, and continuously improve operational standards, governance, and service delivery models across supported functions.
Identify opportunities to leverage technology, data, and process improvements to drive efficiency, scalability, and consistency.
Assess evolving field, customer, and business needs and translate them into actionable solutions, tools, and services.

Service Delivery & Operational Excellence

Oversee delivery of high quality operations support services to field operations, corporate partners, and customers, ensuring service commitments are met or exceeded.
Define, monitor, and manage service levels, performance metrics, and operational outcomes.
Ensure compliance with applicable policies, regulations, and internal controls, including oversight of audit, review, and remediation activities.
Lead testing, deployment, adoption, and ongoing optimization of operational and customer facing tools and systems.

Leadership & Talent Management

Provide direct leadership to their team, including performance management, coaching, development planning, and succession readiness.
Establish consistent expectations, roles, and evaluation practices across teams.
Ensure effective onboarding, training, and ongoing capability development for Operations Support staff.
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and customer focus.

Financial & Resource Management

Drive budget planning, forecasting, and financial performance for Operations Support, ensuring fiscal discipline and alignment to value delivery.
Oversee resource planning, workload prioritization, and capacity management.
Monitor expenditures, evaluate ROI of initiatives, and adjust plans based on operational and financial drivers.
Support pricing, chargeback, or cost-allocation models where applicable.

Cross-Functional & Stakeholder Engagement

Serve as a senior partner to field leadership, corporate teams, and external stakeholders to ensure alignment, transparency, and effective execution.
Communicate performance, risks, and progress on key initiatives to executive leadership.
Promote clarity of Operations Support services, capabilities, and value proposition to internal and external audiences.
Lead or support enterprise initiatives and special projects as needed.

Technology & Vendor Oversight

Identify technology needs to support operations support functions; oversee solution development, procurement, and deployment.
Manage vendor and partner relationships, including contract negotiations, performance management, and issue resolution.
Ensure adoption of best practices, user standards, and training related to supported systems and tools.

Minimum Experience or Skills Required

Bachelor\'s degree in Business, Operations, Technology, or related discipline required
Master\'s degree (MBA or equivalent) preferred
10+ years of progressive leadership experience in operations, operations support, shared services, technology enabled services, or consulting environments
Demonstrated success leading large, multi-disciplinary teams and managing managers
Proven ability to design and scale operational services, standards, and governance models
Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, and performance management
Experience partnering with field operations and senior leaders to drive adoption and results
Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-functional initiatives and managing ambiguity
Excellent communication, influencing, and executive presence skills
High level of integrity, accountability, and customer orientation

First for a reason:

At First Student, we are a family of 60,000+ employees who take pride in safely transporting more than 5 million students and passengers to and from their destinations each day! Our family of brands include Transco, Total Transportation, Maggies Paratransit, and GVC II. Our employees are at the forefront of safety and innovation; they create and implement the most advanced training and technology the transportation industry has to offer.

In the state of Washington, all technician and driving positions, including but not limited to van drivers and any other position requiring employees to drive a company-owned vehicle, are considered safety-sensitive and are therefore subject to drug and alcohol testing, including cannabis.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status. First is also committed to providing a drug-free workplace. First will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinance, and any other fair chance law. Philadelphia\'s Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance Poster is at this link or upon request https://www.phila.gov/media/20210423160847/Fair-Chance-Hiring-law-poster.pdf.

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Programs & Services
- Home to School
  Full-service student transportation
- Special Needs Transportation
  Service, training & support
- Alternative Transportation
  Non-yellow bus services
- Non-Contract Services
  À la carte services
- Charter Bus & Van Rental
  After school, field trips & events
Technology
- Halo™
  Our proprietary technology platform
- First View®
  Vehicle tracking – districts & parents
Electrification
- Electric Buses
  Sustainable fleet solutions
- First Charge™
  Above-ground charging infrastructure
Safety & Training
- Safety Culture
  Practices, processes & technology
- Driver Training
  Comprehensive programs for drivers
- First Serves®
  Student support training program
- Safety Dog
  Our safety ambassador mascot
About
- About
  The leader in student transportation
- Leadership
  Meet our team
- Newsroom
  Media kit, news & stats
- Press Releases
  Recent happenings & developments
- Investor Relations
  Financials, sustainability & ESG
Contact
- Partner with Us
  Improve your student experience
- Contact Form
  Connect with us
- Submit an RFP
  Request a competitive proposal
- Feedback
  Community feedback portal
- Mergers & Acquisitions
  Our step-by-step process
Careers
Submit an RFP
Book a Bus
Contact

Programs & Services
- Home-to-School
  Full-service student transportation
- Special Needs Transportation
  Service, training & support
- Alternative Transportation
  Non-yellow bus services
- Non-Contract Services
  À la carte services
- Charter Bus & Van Rental
  After school, field trips & events
Technology
- HALO™
  Our proprietary technology platform
- First View®
  Vehicle tracking – districts & parents
Electrification
- Electric Buses
  Sustainable fleet solutions
- First Charge™
  Above-ground charging infrastructure
Safety & Training
- Safety Culture
  Practices, processes & technology
- Driver Training
  Comprehensive programs for drivers
- First Serves®
  Student support training program
- Safety Dog
  Our safety ambassador mascot
About
- About First Student
  The leader in student transportation
- Leadership
  Meet our team
- Newsroom
  Media kit, news & stats
- Press Releases
  Recent happenings & developments
- Investor Relations
  Financials & investor relations events
Contact
- Partner with Us
  Improve your student experience
- Contact Us
  Connect with us
- Submit an RFP
  Request a competitive proposal
- Provide Feedback
  Community feedback portal
- Mergers & Acquisitions
  Our step-by-step process

Sr. Director of Operations Support

First Student

Cincinnati, Ohio, US

Full Time

191 Rosa Parks St Suite 800 Cincinnati, OH 45202 United States of America

The Senior Director, Operations Support provides enterprise level strategic, operational, and people leadership for centralized operations support fun...

Posted 2026-02-25

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Sr. Director of Operations Support

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